A Looming Constitutional Crisis, Courtesy Covid-19

Sri Lanka is fighting hard, to the best of all its citizens’ abilities, to deal with the current global pandemic caused by the coronavirus. To its credit, Sri Lanka seems to be comparatively doing well.

Preventing deaths due to non-COVID conditions – A brisk necessity

The number of deaths in Sri Lanka due to coronary artery/ heart disease back in 2017 was 28,554. More than 118,000 of our patients died in 2016 due to non-communicable diseases. It was 83 per cent out of all documented deaths in Sri Lanka. The fact that non-communicable diseases are the leading cause of mortality worldwide is no secret. COVID-19 has completely disrupted the excellent “Health seeking behaviour” we had a few weeks ago.

Easter: journey to unity and a just society

All over the world Christians tomorrow mark Easter Sunday-- the greatest event in the Church calendar -- amid an international battle against the Coronavirus pandemic which at 2 pm yesterday had afflicted more than 1,600,000 people and claimed the lives of almost 96,000.

Burial or cremation Inappropriate time to split hairs

The disposal of remains of COVID-19 patients in Sri Lanka has turned into a hot topic among certain sections of Sri Lankan society while rekindling communal hatred against one another.

“Corona” and the fall of “Global Village”

Coronavirus or the COVID-19 virus travelled across the globe much faster and more conveniently than both “capital” and “labour” in this global neo liberal economy.

Let’s return to our saving habits - EDITORIAL

Sri Lankans are experiencing a shortage of food due to the present crisis that has surfaced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Racism infecting battle against corona pandemic

How many times should one say and how loud should it be said that the coronavirus does not discriminate on the grounds of ethnicity, social status and political power?

It’s baffling how nations respond to COVID -19

All the efforts taken by the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) to combat the COVID-19 pandemic have come in for praise except for the efforts taken to discipline some of the law breakers.

Govt. keeps fingers crossed till April 20

Nearly a month has lapsed after the identification of the first Sri Lankan national infected with COVID- 19. The first case was reported on March 11. Since then the number spiked to 185 cases by Tuesday leaving six patients dead.

The virus that’s going viral

The coronavirus or COVID-19 is showing no signs of relenting but is continuing to spew its venom locally and globally with countries such as the United States, France, Spain and Italy among others, doing their utmost to curb its spread and its catastrophic fallout.

The WHO, ‘Civil Society’ and the parameters of sanity

This government is crazy. Not just this government, but all governments are crazy. All governments past and present as well as those yet to be formed are insane. Alright. Strong words. Frequently used words. Here’s the question: are the finger-pointers sane?

COVID 19 and Bio-Politics: The Emergence of Tyranny

Much has been written about the coronavirus and its impact on global communities. Almost every continent in the world has been affected by the viral infection and millions of people....

Peace continues to evade Afghanistan as differences persist

It wasn’t long ago that a cessation of hostilities and the ushering in of permanent peace were on the cards in chronically troubled Afghanistan.

Health Promotion in a post-Corona virus world - EDITORIAL

The post Coronavirus or COVID-19 world is likely to see a paradigm shift in the global order. With the pandemic exposing the vulnerability of the world...

Google mobility data shows how the world is staying at home

Social distancing, distributed work places, these have become part of our vocabulary seamlessly. They now define the new normal, which is not normal at all.

Effects of COVID-19 on Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans

The future trajectory of COVID-19 that has swallowed the entire world is not clear yet. Only China has so far successfully contained the disease, but with imported cases still disturbing the serenity of its leaders of the coun

Penny-wise, pound foolish Overlooked danger of mandatory cremation of COVID-19 dead

Some quarters of Sri Lankans are indulging in a needlessly-caused and equally stubbornly promoted debate over the funeral managements of the Muslim COVID-19 victims. Last week, a 64-year-old Muslim man from Kochchikade, the second locally reported coronavirus related death, was cremated under the standard operating procedure (SOP) adopted by the Ministry of Health on the disposal of dead bodies

Into the Great Economic Abyss

Societies across the world are facing tremendous challenges. And on March 31, 2020, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the situation as follows: “We are facing a global health crisis unlike any in the 75-year history of the United Nations — one that is killing people, spreading human suffering, and upending people’s lives… But this is much more than a health crisis. It is a human crisis. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

Disposal of bodies of persons infected with COVID-19

A collective of citizens and organizations comprising leading civil society members, academics and activists, has written to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on the disposal of bodies of deceased persons who were infected w

COVID-19: An alternate perspective in uncharted waters

It is said, “If you can stay positive in a negative situation, you win.” The population of the World is 7.6+billion. Therein, the population of South and South East Asia is 2.5+billion or nearly 33%.

How Sri Lanka better managed COVID-19 - EDITORIAL

By yesterday (April 5) at least 1,202,609 persons worldwide had tested coronavirus or Covid-19 positive and 64,732 had died of the dreaded disease.

’’We must abandon the idea of elections anytime soon’’- Sumanthiran

Former Jaffna District Parliamentarian and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Spokesman M. A. Sumanthiran PC engaged in an informative conversation with the “Daily Mirror”...

COVID-19: Protect the protectors

Going by some of the malicious comments posted by a section of society on social media over the spread of COVID-19, they seem to believe rashness is a legacy of a particular community. If one compiles a list of causes of the rapid worldwide spread of the pandemic, recklessness on part of the people in every country might be the first among them.

Capitalism has failed; world needs a new order

Psychologists and social analysts say the world will not be the same again in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic which by noon yesterday had afflicted more than 1,017,000 people with the death toll being more than 53,200 and with the positive factor being that more than 213,200 people have recovered.

We can survive and with a lot less! - EDITORIAL

Long queues seen at pharmacies on Thursday (April 2) reminded us that life is short and could become terribly shorter.

Corona pandemic: Lessons from war zone paradoxes

Normalcy can be defined as a state where we enjoy freedom from fear and hunger. With the new coronavirus pandemic spreading faster than virologists could imagine....

Constitutional conundrum in conducting polls

With the prolonged restriction of people’s movements through measures such as curfew for the containment of the COVID-19 disease, concern is raised regarding the unforeseeable socio- economic and political implications of such steps. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa issued a proclamation at the beginning of March declaring a snap general election. It was a time when the present crisis had not started raising its head in the country.

Politics during a crisis Can COVID-19 change this system?

There are many positives that have come about due to the present Coronavirus despite there being no signs of the day we can move about freely again. One of those good signs is that the president of the country has got closer to the people thanks to the efforts he had taken to marshall the employees of serving his ‘force’.

Act responsibly to overcome this crisis

Sri Lanka’s Health Ministry has reported that three more Covid-19 patients had recovered from the infection and was discharged from the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) in Angoda bringing the number of those discharged to 14 while 20 new patients were detected during the past 24 hours bringing the number of those tested positive to the COVID-19 infection to 142.

Every citizen has to be a ‘suwaviruwa’

Who won the battle against terrorism? The easy answer: ‘Ranaviruwo’. Yes, the men and women who battled, who put lives on the line and lost them or were maimed for life, played the most important role, without doubt.